Digital micromirror device (DMD based projectors currently suffer from poor contrast and/or uniformity when angles between illumination light, flat-state light, on-state light and off-state light are not well-controlled. Each micromirror pivots between an on-state and an off-state, and is generally in an intermediate flat state for about 1% of the time. For example, in some DMD devices, micromirrors pivot between +/−12° and is in a flat state when not at +/−12°, and is sitting flat, but is significant enough to affect contrast.